Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) articles from August 2001

Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, CA) archives from August 2001

Clinic Offers Improved Care, Hope to Poor Patients In Walnut Creek, Calif.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Judy Silber Aug. 31--A visit to La Clmnica de la Raza evokes images of Mexico. Though located in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, a panaderma, or bakery, across the street from the medical clinic's family care unit beckons...

San Francisco-Area Transit Management, Unions Continue Talks to Avert Strike.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Lisa Vorderbrueggen Aug. 31--While many of the Bay Area's workers look forward to a Labor Day holiday, BART managers and union representatives say they will toil through the weekend in an effort to avert a strike. A...

Wells Fargo To Buy Walnut Creek, Calif.-Based Firm.
August 31, 2001... Byline: George Avalos Aug. 31--WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--SIFE, the veteran company that oversees the $789 million SIFE Trust Fund, has agreed to be bought by Wells Fargo & Co., the financial services firms said Thursday. SIFE Trust Fund...

Menechino's lengthy slide has A's worried.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_The offensive struggles of second baseman Frank Menechino has the A's organization pondering his long-term effectiveness. Menechino was one of the team's biggest surprises before the All-Star break but...

Chavez, A's slam Orioles.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_Perhaps it was no coincidence that Eric Chavez has had the two best games of his three-year major-league career against the Baltimore Orioles. With future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. as his...

Giants' bats produce crucial victory.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_Sure, there are 28 games left and we're still not in September, but this was one the Giants really needed to win. With only three more chances to go head-to-head against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the...

Baker shakes up lineup, moves Kent to fifth spot.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_The Giants offense has been in a swoon lately, so manager Dusty Baker shook up his batting order Thursday in an effort to break the club out of its doldrums. His major change was moving second baseman...

Opener is a big test for Bears.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY, Calif. _ Cal coach Tom Holmoe surveyed his players coming off the practice field during training camp and said, "We're not making the Bad News Bears mistakes anymore." Whether that fact is indeed true...

Pac-10 teams call on top specialists.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater Fortunately, these guys make house calls. USC, UCLA and Cal all hired football doctors_specialists in their particular fields_to cure very sick parts of their respective programs. The Trojans plucked offensive...

49ers' exhibition finale becomes final audition.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman DENVER_Doomsday rapidly is approaching for 14 unlucky players. Their dreams of playing for the 49ers will be dashed, or at least put on hold, when the club trims its roster to 53 players by 1 p.m. Sunday. Those...

Giants' broadcaster passes up call in big fifth.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Cecil Conley Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper called the consecutive home runs by Rich Aurilia and Barry Bonds in the fifth inning of Monday afternoon's 6-5 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium instead of Jon Miller,...

Survey: Many back health care bill of rights.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Judy Silber WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ A majority of Americans support passage of a Patients' Bill of Rights but say a bill allowing patients to sue their health plans should set limits on damages paid to keep insurance costs from...

Soltys surrenders meekly; his brother saw him in mother's back yard.
August 31, 2001... Byline: John Simerman SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ A tenacious manhunt for mass murder suspect Nikolay Soltys ended on its 11th day Thursday when police found the Ukrainian immigrant barefoot, bedraggled and curled up under a desk in his...

Murder suspect's brother made frantic phone call.
August 31, 2001... Byline: Thomas Peele CITRUS HEIGHTS, Calif. _ Stepan Soltys looked up from his family's breakfast table, through a window, and into the eyes of his younger brother Nikolay _ the man suspected of killing six family members last week. ...

San Francisco Bay-Area Latino Workers Courted by Corporate America.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Jessica Guynn Aug. 30--Hugo and Sandra Machado are chasing the American dream -- and the Latino dollar for Pacific Bell. Brother-and-sister immigrants from El Salvador, they are among 150 bilingual workers from as far away as...

Bill to Foil Telemarketing in California Hailed.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 30--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Fiercely debated legislation that would allow Californians to block their phone numbers from receiving most types of telemarketing calls moved closer to becoming law Wednesday. The...

Second man charged with murder in deaths of pilots.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Leslie Fulbright WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ A San Pablo, Calif., man wanted on drug-dealing charges was charged in Mendocino County (Calif.) court Thursday in connection with a forest fire that two firefighters died fighting. ...

Two ex-Royals would like a third.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_The Oakland experience has been so good for two former Kansas City Royals, they wouldn't mind having a third ex-teammate join them in the future. A's center fielder Johnny Damon and right fielder...

Hudson struggles in victory.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_The A's are back to their workmanlike surge toward the American League wild-card spot. Their recent four-game losing streak was cause for concern, the lead was reduced to one game, but the starting...

Giants punchless vs. Witt.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_Both the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks knew that sweeping this series at Bank One Ballpark was probably an unrealistic goal. The teams simply wanted to win this three-game set that could have...

Golfer Mickelson can relate to Bonds.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_Barry Bonds and golfer Phil Mickelson are both at the top of their sports, but that's not all the two have in common. Bonds and Mickelson each went to Arizona State, although Bonds was in Tempe, Ariz.,...

What parents can do.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Sara Steffens Here are some tips for parents from author and educator Mona Hajjar Halaby, on ways to support children's social development in the elementary school years: _At the start of the school year, write a letter to...

Teacher devises methods to help kids learn social skills.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Sara Steffens Reading, writing and arithmetic are central lessons for any elementary school child. But so are learning how to make friends, to listen to other people's ideas, and to resolve fights that spring up on the...

Borges brings new life to Cal offense.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY_The Cal football players believe. Now it's time to convince the fans. After three seasons of finishing last in the Pac-10 in scoring, the Golden Bears say they are ready to explode under new offensive...

Harrington's stature is a sign of the times.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater It doesn't take a 10-story billboard in Times Square to realize that Oregon quarterback Joey Harrington belongs on any All-Pac-10 preseason team. Unlike those on the East Coast who recently have been exposed to an...

DT Killings waived; second punter signed.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA_A year after surviving the 49ers' final cut as an undrafted rookie, defensive tackle Cedric Killings has lost his roster spot. Killings was released Wednesday by the 49ers, part of a handful of moves...

Some Raiders don't have luxury of job security.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Steve Corkran ALAMEDA_Mondriel Fulcher was a wide-eyed young man in a new city, playing for a team and in a league at the highest level, learning a new position and anything but assured of a job in 2000. The final roster...

Bay Meadows jockeying for position behind Baze.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Chuck Dybdal SAN MATEO_Bay Meadows opens a 52-day fall meeting tonight, but it likely will be missing something it had last spring_a jockey race. For one of the few times since he began to dominate the local scene in 1981,...

Lighter Zucchini Cakes.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Elaine Magee When you are sick of steamed zucchini and you want to make a side dish with your summer bounty, try these zucchini (mock crab) cakes. The original recipe called for a couple of tablespoons of butter in the zucchini...

Soltys captured in mother's back yard after 10-day hunt.
August 30, 2001... Byline: Andrew LaMar SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Nikolay Soltys, the 27-year-old accused killer who has eluded police for 10 days, was captured and arrested without incident on Thursday morning, when local authorities found him hiding under a...

`We're fighting a war': Blazes rip through the West.
August 30, 2001... Byline: John Simerman WEAVERVILLE, Calif. _ They reopened the roads and let a few thousand weary people back into their homes Wednesday night, though the mountains still smoldered from a fire that nearly swept through the historic gut of...

Northern California Grocers Take Steps to Cope with Possible Strike.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy Aug. 29--Safeway and Albertson's put up signs in Northern California stores on Tuesday seeking replacement workers in case the union for store employees goes on strike when its contract expires at the end of the week....

From Milk to Perfume, Latinos Are Marketed to in Walnut Creek, Calif., Area.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy Aug. 29--Jeff Manning could have had a major disastre on his hands. The head of the Berkeley-based California Milk Processor Board was considering translating into Spanish the popular "Got Milk?" advertisements,...

Jason Giambi reaches 100 RBI_again.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_Jason Giambi has eclipsed his mentor as the franchise's most consistent run producer. Giambi's two-run home run Tuesday off Baltimore's Sidney Ponson was his 99th and 100th RBI of the season, making...

Mulder, A's trip Orioles.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE_Normalcy began setting in after the first inning Tuesday at Camden Yards. Mark Mulder resembled a punch-drunk fighter in his past two starts, and he backed that up with a shaky start against Baltimore. ...

Leadoff shot goes to Diamondbacks.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_This loss may have been OK with Giants fans. Sure, they would have loved to have seen their team go into Phoenix and sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks in this crucial three-game series. But taking two of...

Series showcases Bonds, Gonzalez.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Jonathan Okanes PHOENIX_Another Giants-Arizona Diamondbacks series, another reason to showcase Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez. When the Giants came here last month, much of the focus was on the home run race between each...

Barry Bonds worth watching, even if he isn't Mr. Warmth.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Neil Hayes AN OLD FRIEND called the other day and asked an unanswerable question. Actually, he asked two unanswerable questions. "Why should I root for Barry Bonds?" "Why should I even care?" Hmmmmm. That...

Will a Warriors gamble finally pay off?
August 29, 2001... Byline: Gary Peterson OAKLAND THE WARRIORS, PERHAPS eager for a photo op that didn't include a profile view and a booking number, had Antawn Jamison sign his contract extension for the cameras Tuesday. He signed it and defended it...

Big deal for Jamison, Warriors.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Matt Steinmetz Ready, willing and able to entrust their basketball future to Antawn Jamison, the Warriors on Tuesday made him the highest-paid athlete in Bay Area sports history, announcing they had signed Jamison to a six-year...

For Cal and Holmoe, it's win early or else.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Eric Gilmore CAL FOOTBALL COACH Tom Holmoe neared the end of his opening remarks Tuesday at his season-opening weekly news conference. He had touched on his team's progress under new offensive coordinator Al Borges. He had...

Turner tries to get Illini back on track.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater BERKELEY_Everything was going Ron Turner's way. The Illinois football coach had led his team to a 3-0 record early in the 2000 season, his team was ranked No. 19 and it appeared NFL head coaching offers would be soon...

Battle continues for Bryant's spot at end.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA_Replacing Junior Bryant at defensive end isn't necessarily a new problem for the 49ers, but Bryant's release Monday means the 49ers have erased the uncertainty of whether he will return from a Sept. 17 neck...

Roster spot up for grabs for 49ers.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA_Make a play, make the team. That's the message 49ers coaches are sending to backup safeties Al Blades, Ronnie Heard and Pierson Prioleau as they vie for one of the few precious roster spots still up for...

Kennedy says replacement refs to `hurt' game.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi ALAMEDA, Calif. _ Replacement officials will be at the Network Associate Coliseum for the Raiders' final exhibition game against the Green Bay Packers on Friday. And the players did little to hide their displeasure....

There's no pot of gold at end of rainbow for Rambo.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Steve Corkran Rookie wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo burst on the scene in the spring, catching the ball with ease and running with grace. His flashy play earned him the nickname "Rainbow" from coach Jon Gruden. Rainbows come and...

Inkster hopes to bag slump at Hiddenbrooke.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Samuel Chi VALLEJO, Calif. JULI INKSTER HAD a few ideas about mending her putting woes. "I might change my putter," she said. "Or get rid of my husband." Inkster was kidding, of course, about her husband since she...

USOC member is a Stanford fan.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Ann Tatko WHILE HER U.S. Olympic Committee colleagues sat listening about the merits of Stanford Stadium, Evie Dennis slipped away to watch Stanford's football team practice. The USOC bid task force was in town last week to...

Black Ruby has very little to show.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Chuck Dybdal You knew it was coming. The minus show pools, even though they were created in Southern California, had the fairs_not to mention the mule association_concerned a big hit on Black Ruby would drastically affect...

MLS pair headline U.S. under-17 squad.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Jennifer Starks MLS NEWCOMERS Santino Quaranta and Eddie Johnson headlined a group of players named to the U.S. under-17 men's national team earlier this week. The team will compete in the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World...

Appeals court backs right to sue teachers for not teaching in English.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Matt Sebastian WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Parents can sue their children's teachers if they don't speak English in the classroom, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday, upholding a key enforcement provision of California's...

Travel agents protest airlines cutting fees.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Ellen Lee WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ The 3-by-4-foot poster, punctuated by a red stop sign, in the front window of Shields World Travel explains it all. Stephen Shields will sell cruise tickets and tour packages and give advice on...

Latino workers courted by corporate America.
August 29, 2001... Byline: Jessica Guynn WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Hugo and Sandra Machado are chasing the American dream _ and the Latino dollar for Pacific Bell. Brother-and-sister immigrants from El Salvador, they are among 150 bilingual workers from...

Walnut Creek, Calif.-Area Laborers Line Up for Chance to Earn a Day's Pay.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 28--Maria Santiago works hard to send her three children to college. That in itself is not unusual, though Santiago's work is anything but usual. Her days can start as early as 5 a.m., or last late into the...

Pleasanton-Based Software Firm Confirms Acquisition.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Ellen Lee Aug. 28--PeopleSoft Inc. confirmed Monday that it has acquired Hayward-based Cohera Inc. in an effort to bolster its Internet strategy. The Pleasanton-based software company said it has acquired Cohera's software...

Danville program recycles olf.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Linda Davis DANVILLE, Calif. _ Time to hit the garage, the attic or the spare room on a hunt for items that can be restored for someone else to use. September brings Danville's "Reuse and Cleanup Days" campaign, in which...

Magowan: Bonds talks won't drag on long.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick NEW YORK _ As Giants managing general partner Peter Magowan sees it, negotiations with Barry Bonds won't drag on throughout the offseason, creating a daily media frenzy. Magowan said talks with Bonds' agent,...

Giants avoid sweep, tip Mets; Bonds hits 56th.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick NEW YORK _ They might as well of had dancing girls with veils and a postgame spread fit for a king, such was the festive atmosphere in the Giants locker room after a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets on Monday...

Schools pitch in to save administrative jobs.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Kyra Kitlowski DANVILLE, Calif. _ Local students got their just reward for their high marks on last year's state standardized tests as performance bonuses for five San Ramon Valley middle schools will pay for assistant...

Niners cut Saladin McCullough.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Monday's round of cuts by the 49ers produced one less candidate for the team's starting running back slot. Although projected starter Garrison Hearst still is around, XFL refugee Saladin...

Screenwriter loses claim to `007'.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Matt Sebastian SAN FRANCISCO _ A legal battle that outlasted James Bond's clashes with the forces of SPECTRE came to a close Monday with the martini-swilling secret agent finally learning the identity of his real father. The...

From milk to perfume, Latinos are marketed to variety of products.
August 28, 2001... Byline: Janet Adamy WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ Jeff Manning could have had a major disaster on his hands. The head of the Berkeley-based California Milk Processor Board was considering translating into Spanish the popular "Got Milk?"...

Pricey Brentwood, Calif., Nonpublic School Helps Students with Special Needs.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Lisa Shafer Aug. 27--BRENTWOOD, Calif.--Tucked behind a Brentwood Boulevard soundwall, a publicly funded private school lets emotionally disturbed children decapitate zombies on video games, order super sundaes from...

Navajo Nation May Gain Part Ownership in Southwest Gas Pipeline.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Rick Jurgens Aug. 27--SAN JOSE, Calif.--A proposed natural gas pipeline that would end in Antioch and deliver fuel to Bay Area power plants could have a noteworthy co-owner: the Navajo Nation, the sovereign government of 180,000...

California Nonpublic Education Expenses Cost Taxpayers $400 Million in 2000.
August 27, 2001... Aug. 27--Billy, a Pittsburg special education student, has suffered from neglect, loss and abuse for 11 years. His mother took him from drug house to drug house before she abandoned him. At one house, a strung-out addict shot at him; at...

A's aren't taking struggling Devil Rays and Orioles lightly.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND _ A glance at the standings shows the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Devil Rays nestled at the bottom of the American League East. A's manager Art Howe doesn't read much into that. Howe believes his team...

Long shows he's no fluke.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Gary Washburn BALTIMORE _ There is no sophomore jinx here, Terrence Long is showing his standout rookie season was no fluke. He is cemented in the A's outfield for the next several years. He is considered one of the...

A's bumble their way to a win.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Joe Stiglich OAKLAND _ They dropped balls thrown right at them and they squandered scoring opportunities. At one point Sunday afternoon, the A's didn't even realize they had recorded three outs, continuing to fire the ball...

Low, slow cycle across Nevada: Pedal-powered pilgrim files report.
August 27, 2001... Byline: J.R. Deaton I awoke one day last year with a desire to bicycle across the state of Nevada. Why Nevada? Why not? If not now, when? Wide open spaces, endless vistas, few people, fewer cars, historic places, stars at night and...

Pac-10 teams call on top specialists.
August 27, 2001... Byline: Jay Heater Fortunately, these guys make house calls. USC, UCLA and Cal all hired football doctors_specialists in their particular fields_to cure very sick parts of their respective programs. The Trojans plucked offensive...

Trachsel gives Bonds a good shot to break record.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick NEW YORK _ Steve Trachsel, the man who gave up Mark McGwire's record-breaking 62nd homer on Sept. 8, 1998, believes Barry Bonds has a good chance to shatter McGwire's single-season record of 70 homers. "Oh, of...

Cal already is giddy over its frosh phenom.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Gary Peterson WALNUT CREEK, Calif. _ They're trying to stay calm at Cal these days. They're trying to maintain perspective in the face of Lorenzo Alexander's impressive practices, but he isn't making it easy. Not that the...

Hearst getting no guarantees.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ With only one preseason game remaining, 49ers coach Steve Mariucci doesn't sound exactly sold that Garrison Hearst will be his starting running back_or possibly even be on the roster_come opening...

NFL keeps an eye on Mexico City.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Steve Corkran ?Estas listos para futbol Americano? OK, so you might not be ready for Hank Williams Jr. singing, "Are you ready for some football?" in Spanish. Don't rule it out. Soon, there might be a day when you are looking...

49ers can't overcome mistakes, fall to Seahawks.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Cam Inman SAN FRANCISCO _ First came the missed tackles. Then the blown coverages. And, for the cherry on top, the inexcusably easy touchdowns. A nightmarish first quarter by the 49ers' defense cast an early pall over...

Increasingly Entrepreneurial Latinos Eye San Francisco-Area Tech Boom.
August 26, 2001... Byline: George Avalos Aug. 26--A growing number of Latinos are doing a lot more than just punching a clock at work. Increasingly, they own the clock itself. Latinos account for the largest percentage of minority-owned businesses...

Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., User Friendly Column.
August 26, 2001... Byline: Yael Li-Ron Aug. 26--CODE RED STILL TRYING TO WORM IN: If you run a small business with a Windows-based network and a shared Internet connection, odds are Microsoft's Web server software, IIS, is installed on your system. IIS is...

Starlings Spoiling the Vine on Oakley, Calif., Farms.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Heidi M. Ortmann Aug. 25--OAKLEY, Calif.--It's the classic clash of cultures -- suburbs vs. farms; commuters vs. grape growers, the old vs. the new. It's the time of year when huge, black clouds of birds attack Oakley's...

Slump in San Francisco-Area Home Sales Continues.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 25--Despite a positive national home sales report, another survey released Friday showed sales in the Bay Area continued to drop as prices remained stagnant in July. A total of 8,459 new and resale houses...

California's New Power Agency Still Has Hands Full Preventing Problems.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Andrew LaMar Aug. 25--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Even though California has gotten through the summer so far without blackouts, the state's new public power authority still has plenty to do to eliminate the threat of energy shortages...

Walnut Creek, Calif.-Area Puppet Crafters Fit Niche Like a Glove.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Chris Metinko Aug. 25--EMERYVILLE, Calif.--Judy Folkmanis had a choice. Her son's nursery school was going to put on a puppet show and she was given a choice of jobs for the production. She decided on making the puppets...

Giambi DH's while nursing hamstring.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Ann Tatko OAKLAND, Calif. _ Jason Giambi spent a second night limiting his duty as he continues to nurse a sore left hamstring. Giambi's playing status remained in question until after batting practice for Friday night's game...

Relaxed Ripken enjoys farewell tour.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Joe Roderick Two months ago, Cal Ripken Jr. appeared to have made a wise decision when he announced his retirement. Ripken was hitting .210 as a part-time third baseman and looked as if the game had passed him by. It's almost...

Zito gets A's back on track.
August 25, 2001... Byline: Marcus Thompson II OAKLAND_Barry Zito couldn't have come at a better time. The A's needed Zito to answer the bell Saturday after seeing their lead in the American League wild-card race shrivel to one game and their two top...